Kevin Cuneo's Take30: Spirits of her parents live on in Lucie Arnaz

How appropriate that Lucie Arnaz bears both her mother's and father's names. Her vitality reminds you of her legendary mom, the great Lucille Ball, while her warm, personable voice, which over the phone sounds almost musical, conjures images of her late father, Desi Arnaz.

Together, Lucy and Desi forged an unforgettable team on "I Love Lucy," which still airs on cable channels.

It's why young people in Jamestown, N.Y., Lucy's hometown, still know about her, and why the annual LucyFest celebration remains a big attraction, drawing more than 13,000 people in 2011.

Lucie Arnaz, 61, returns to Jamestown on Friday evening to host a session of top comedians at the Reg Lenna Civic Center. She'll also perform several songs, reminding everyone that she inherited considerable musical talent from her bandleader dad, as well.

The first time I chatted with Arnaz came shortly after CBS aired an unflattering made-for-TV movie about her parents.

In a flash, her mood changed from sunny contentment to black rage. "I will never, ever forgive CBS for that scummy tabloid-esque treatment of my parents," she snarled, sounding just like her father before he'd launch into one of those profanity-laced Spanish diatribes on "I Love Lucy."

"Never will I work on CBS again," she continued. "Every script they send my way will be returned unopened. When I think of what they did to my parents, after everything Mom and Dad did to help them get their lousy TV network going in the first place, I feel like spitting nails."

Clearly, you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Lucie Arnaz.

During a phone conversation last week, she recalled her mother's disappointment when illness prevented her from returning to her hometown to collect an honorary degree from Jamestown Community College. "After my mom died, I made up my mind to follow through on her intentions," Arnaz said.

In 1991, when a representative from the LucyFest committee called, Arnaz volunteered to help in every way possible. And, she has for nearly two decades.

A talented actress in her own right, Arnaz remembered her seasons on the "Here's Lucy" show in the 1960s. "Mom was all business on the set, yet she would go out of her way to help young actors," she said.

"On breaks, I would travel to Hawaii or some other fun place. But one day Vivian Vance, who was guest starring on the show, asked me if I was auditioning for plays and musicals. When I said I wasn't, she said, "Girl, you've got to go out and get some experience. It gets too comfortable starring on a sitcom."

It prompted Arnaz to get into summer stock and work her way up to stardom on Broadway.

When I mentioned a story I'd heard about Lucy stopping tour buses of fans passing by her home, and offering them a tour of her estate, Arnaz laughed. "That's utter nonsense. Mom did have a good rapport with her fans, answering a lot of her own mail and such, but that tour-bus story is ridiculous."

Arnaz is always quick to point out what a force her dad, who built Desilu Studios, was. "Dad had impeccable business sense. Don't forget, he was a highly successful band leader before he and Mom even met."

That's one of her missions: to never let us forget. It's why LucyFest remains such a special celebration, especially to the woman who bears both of their names.